1:17PM, May 28, 2009
Arnold Schwarzenegger memorably proclaimed, "I'll be back" in 1984. And he was - in two sequels to the original Terminator.
Now it's certain that Christian Bale will be back...in two more T-movies.
Despite mixed early reviews, the almost certain success of Terminator: Salvation signals an impending 2011 sequel in a three-film run to complement Arnie's trio of cyborg blockbusters.
TS director McG and Bale (reprising the role of grown-up John Connor) have already been signed up in a decision made inevitable by the vast payday triggered by the latest movie.
"We feel the time is now to start shaping the next part of this," said Victor Kubicek of Halycyon, the company that acquired the rights to the Terminator series last year.
The Middle East has been suggested as one location for the sequel and TS writer Jonathan Nolan (brother of Christopher), who also worked on The Dark Knight, has also been signed up for a two-picture deal.
Terminator: Salvation leaves audiences with "not a happy little bow of an ending at all", says McG, who adds that T5 will take place in a pre-Judgement Day 2011.
One storyline being considered follows Bale's John Connor back in time on a mission to "galvanise the militaries of the world for an impending Skynet invasion."
They’ve figured out time travel to the degree where they can send more than one naked entity," he says with time-twisting logic (according to T3 Judgement Day takes place in 2004, in T5 it's apparently 2011).
"So you’re going to have hunter killers and transports and harvesters and everything arriving in our time and Connor fighting back with conventional military warfare, which I think is going to be f***ing awesome,” McG went on.
He also hinted that he was working on an idea to bring back T2 star Robert Patrick - Arnie's molten T-1000 nemesis - for a cameo.
MGM has a 30-day right of first refusal to finance and distribute the fifth film, after settling a lawsuit surrounding Salvation.
The third and fourth films were financed and distributed by Warner Bros and Columbia Pictures, respectively in the US and elsewhere in the world.
Halcyon will ultimately decide who produces and distributes the next installment based on what studio they feel offers them the most lucrative package.
Not such luck for the franchise's small screen fortunes however. This week Fox announced Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles will not be returning for a third season.
